Ex delicto is a catch-all term that refers to the consequences of a tortious action and sometimes a criminal action. Ex delicto is to be contrasted with the other Latin term ex contractu which refers to the consequences from breaching a contract.
[Last reviewed in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Exemplary damages, better known as punitive damages, refer to extra damages awarded beyond that actually incurred by the plaintiff.
Extenuating circumstances–also called mitigating factors–are facts or details that are important for fully understanding a situation. With this understanding, the actions a person took in that event might be viewed as less severe, or that person’s culpability in those actions diminished.
A factor is something that contributes to a particular result or outcome.
False imprisonment occurs when one person intentionally restrains another in a way that confines the individual within a bounded area without consent or legal authority
False light is one of several torts under the category of invasion of privacy where a defendant is accused of spreading falsehoods about a plaintiff that would be considered objectionable by the average person.
The family purpose doctrine holds a vehicle owner liable for damages caused by their family members when they use their vehicle. The owner does not have to give permission; the doctrine holds that the owner should have control over their vehicle similarly to firearms because of the dangers they pose. Owners, under the doctrine, are required to ensure that family members use their vehicle responsibly or not at all.
The Federal Tort Claims Act, also known as the FTCA, is a federal statute which authorizes private tort actions against the United States where, if the United States were a private person, it would be liable to the claimant according to the law of the place where a particular act or omission occurred.
Feres doctrine is a legal doctrine that prevents members of the armed forces who are injured while on active duty from successfully suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The doctrine was articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Feres v.
